Movable casing for condensing-coils of refrigerator-cars.



MOVABLE CASING FOR OOND-ENSING OOILS OP REPR IGERATOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- N0 MODEL.

QN m ww m w kw W w uw ww H w R .N .QWRN m J.L.Mprrz's No. 727,180.PATENTED MAY 5,1903. J. L. MORRIS.

MOVABLE CASING FOR GONDENSING GOILS 0F REFRI APPLICATION FILED AUG.5,1902.

GBRATOR CARS,

I0 MODEL 2 BHEETBSHIBET'2.

J Llibrrz's Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT @FFICE.

JOSEPH L MORRIS, OF LAWRENCE, KANSAS.

MOVABLE CASING FoR CONDENSlN G-ColLs OF REFRIGERATOR-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersfPatent No. 727,180, dated May 5,1903.

Application filed August 6, 1902. Serial No. 118,422. (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH L. MORRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lawrence, in the county of Douglas and State of Kansas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Movable Casings forCondensing-Coils of Refrigerator-Oars, of which-the following-is aspecification.

My invention relates to movable housingsadapted to be employed inconnection with. atmospheric condensing-coils of ammonia refrigeratingapparatus on railway refrigeratorcars. l The present invention relatesto an improve. ment upon a certain previous invention in re-.frigerator-cars for which I obtained Letters Patent No. 634,583, issuedOctober 10, 1899;

More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel attachmentto be applied to the preliminary condensing-coil described in saidpatent and designated by numeral,54,:

said coil being located beneath the floor of the car. I

The present invention provides a housin which may inclose the sides andbottom of the condensing-coil and, further, provides. means forforcingadraft of air along the condensing-coil within saidv housing forthe purpose of reducing the temperature of the ammonia-gas in said coilto approximately that of the atmosphere.

My invention further provides a novel construction for said housingwhereby it may be opened up by the moving of a lever when the car isstarted or about to start, the efiect of which is to expose thecondensing-coil to the draft of air below the car-body, caused by themotion of the car.

I will proceed to fully describe my invention with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is abottom plan view of myinvention attached to the bottom of a refrigeratorcar, a part of thehousing and one end of the car being broken away and the, housing beingclosed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the invention, showing the blowerand engine within the car, the car-floor being partly in section and thenear side housing partially broken away. Fig. 3 is an elevation of theair-box looking into its nozzles. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional viewshowing the outside housing at the sides of the car and one of theadjacent housings and the shifting-gear, the

housings being in closed position. Figs. 5

Fig. 8 is an 1 designates the condensing-coil, which consists of anumber of runs of pipe connected attheir ends by suitable couplings orunions. The apparatus to'whicn the ends of this coil are connected formsno part of this'invention, and hence is not represented in the drawings.However, if reference be made to my faforesaid patent it will beobserved that the ends of the coil 54 are connected, respectively,

to a compressor 30 and to the main condensing-coil 50.

Ammonia-gas at a high initial temperature is circulated through thecondensing-coil 1, (shown herein,) and I propose to cool and condensethis gas while the, car is .in motion by the draft of air which willsurround the coil;

jbut while the car is at rest such draft will be absent, and in order tocontinuously reduce the temperature of the gas I provide a blower,

aseries of nozzles, and a plurality of rockable housings 6, arrangedlongitudinally just below (o above, as will be apparent) the pi ofgthecondensing-coil l. t

The coil 1 is supported byv hangers 4 secured to the bottom of the car.These hangers depend low enough to permit th'e'housings to clear theusual brake-cylinders, struts, &c., carried beneath the car-body. Thepipes of the coil 1 are secured to the bottoms of the hangers 4 bykeepers 3, held by screws 2. The coil 1 and its housings occupy only thespace between. the car-trucks. (Not shown.)

Each housing 6 consists of a trough-shaped length of sheet metal,connected by a suitable number of ribs 7 to a longitudinal rockshaft 8.All of the rock-shafts 8 pass through journal-openings in the hangers 4.Said rockshafts extend from end to end of the housings 6. In case anintermediate row of hangers 4 are provided, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,each housing 6 will be divided to form a gap, the object of which willpresently be apparent.

Upon each rock-shaft 8, adjacent to the power-chamber of the car, issecured a spurpinion 9. Above said shaft-s, extending transversely, is aslidable rack-bar 10, the lower edge of which is provided with sets ofteeth 12, which engage the pinions 9, respectively. One manner ofmounting the rack-bar is by forming longitudinal slots 13 therein,through which pass cap-screws or stud-bolts 14,'entering the hangers 4and having washers interposed between their heads and the face of therack-bar.

Secured to depending brackets 16 along the respective sides of thecar-bottom are two sta tiouary longitudinal lateral housings 17,substantially upright in position. These lateral housings 17 are made ofsheet-iron or of any preferred material. Passing through the lower endsof the two rows of brackets are two rock-shafts 18 and 19, respectively.Socured upon each rock-shaft 18 and 19 are a plurality of arms or ribs20 and 21, to which are secured two movable sheet-metal housings 17,which form'continuations of the respective stationary housings 17,secured to the brackets 16. Secured on rock-shaft 18 at the side of therack-bar 10 is a pinion 22, which is engaged bya rack 24, rigidlysecured to the face of the rack-bar. The lengths of the racks 24 and 26are equal to half the pitch circumferences of the respective pinions,for the reason that when the bottom housings 6 are swung up to theirraised positions they have been turned one-half of a full revolution.(See dotted lines.) The lateral movable housings 17 may also be arrangedso that they will turn one hundred and eighty degrees in passing fromlowered to raised positions, though such an arrangement is notessential, as the length of their throw may be adjusted by the sizes ofthe pinions 22 23, by which they are turned.

Secured to the rack-bar 10 is a rack 35. (Shown in plan in Fig. 8, inwhich two of the hangers 4 are shown in section.) Engaging this rack 35is a pinion 36, fixed on a vertical shaft 27, which passes through thefloor of the car into the power-chamber. Secured on shaft 27 is a crank37, by means of which said shaft may be rotated.

Hung from the bottom of the car by brackets, close to one end ofthecondensing-coil 1, is a transverse air-box 28, which is provided with asuitable number of nozzles 29, which project above the ends of thebottom hensiugs 6, just below the rook-shafts 8. Within thepower-chamber are an engine 30 and a blower 32, driven by the engineeither directly, as shown, or through a counter-shaft. An air-trunk 33connects the outlet of the blower 32 to the air-box 28. Thus when theblower is operated at a high speed a blast of air is conducted into theair-box and issues through the nozzles 29, which may be about three andone-half inches in diameter. While the blower is being operated, the caris supposed to be stationary or moving very slowly. In this case thecrank 37 is turned in the proper direction to lower all of the bottomhousings 6 and simultaneously fold in the lateral housiugs 17. When inthis position, the bottom housings 6 form a practically-continuousbottom wall below the coil 1 and the lower edges of the lateral housings17 touch the lower edges of the outer bottom housings 6, and therebycomplete the inclosure of the condensing-coil. By this means the draftof air issuing from the nozzles 29 is caused to traverse the entirelength of the condensing-coil, it being guided by the housings 6, 17,and 17. This draft is maintained as long as the car is not in motion andmay of course be continued after the car has started, it thoughtnecessary to the condensation of the gas in the coil 1.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination with a refrigerator-car of a condensing-coilthereunder, a plurality of rockable housings under said coil, a pair oflateral housings coacting with said rockable housings, and means forcausing an artificial current of air to traverse the space surroundingsaid coil, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a refrigerator-car of a condensing-coilthereunder, a plurality of rock'able' housings under said coil, a pairof lateral housings coacting with said rookable housings, the lowerportion of each lateral housing being movable, means for moving all ofsaid housings simultaneously,-and means for causing an artificialcurrent of air I to traverse the space surrounding said coil,

The rock-shafts 8, 18, and 19 being connect ed by a virtually-continuousrack 10, if anyone of said shafts be rocked the other shaftswill turnthe same distance at the same time.

substantially as described.

3. The combination with a refrigerator-car of a condensin -coilthereunder, a group of rockab'le housings armnged in parallel relation,under said coil, said housings forming a transversely-continuous housingwhen in lowered position, a-pair of lateral housings at the respectivesides of said group of housings, the lower portion of each lateralhousing being movable toward or away from the adjacent rockable housing,means for moving all of said housings simultaneously, :and

means for causing an artificial current of air to traverse the spacesurrounding the condensing-coil, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a refrigerator-car of hangers secured to thebottom of the car, a condensing-coil supported by said hangers, aplurality of parallel rock-shafts journaled 'in said hangers, atrough-shaped housing member secured to each rock-shaft, a pair oflateral housings extending from the carbottom to the outer trough-shapedhousings respectively, the lower portion of each lateral housing beingmounted on a rock-shaft parallel to the aforesaid rock-shafts, means forturning all of said rock-shafts simultaneously, and means for causing anartificial current of air to traverse the space surrounding thecondensing-coil, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a refrigerator-car of hangers secured to thebottom of the car, a condensing-coil supported by said hangers, aplurality of parallel rock-shafts journaled in said hangers, atrough-shaped housing member secured to each rock-shaft, a pair oflateral housings extending from the carbottom to the outer trough-shapedhousings respectively, the lower portion of each lateral housing beingmounted on a rock-shaft par allel to the aforesaid rock-shafts, a pinionsecured on each of said rock-shafts, a rack transverse to saidrock-shafts and engaging all of said pinions, means for simultaneouslyturning said rock-shafts, and means for causing an artificial current ofair to traverse the space surrounding the condensing-coil, substantiallyas described.

6. The combination witha refrigerator-car of hangers secured to thebotton of the car, acondensing-coil supported by said hangers, aplurality of parallel rock-shafts journaled in said hangers, atrough-shaped housing member secured to each rock-shaft, a pair oflateral housings extending from the carbottom to the outer trough-shapedhousings respectively, the lower portion of each lateral housing beingmounted on a rock-shaft parallel to the aforesaid rock-shafts, a pinionsecured on each of said rock-shafts, a rack transverse to saidrock-shafts and engaging all of said pinions, means for simultaneouslyturning said rock-shafts, a plurality of nozzles arranged across one endof condensing-coil,

an engine within the car, a blower driven by the engine, and a trunkconnecting the blower to all of said nozzles, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination with a refrigerator-car of a condensing-coilthereunder, a normally closed housing below and at the sides of saidcoil, said housing being open at one end, the bottom portion of saidhousing being composed of a plurality of parallel rockable members,rock-shafts supporting said members, means for simultaneously turningall of said rock-shafts, and means. for causing an artificial current ofair to traverse the space surrounding the condensing-coil substantiallyas described.

8. The combination with a refrigerator-car of a condensing-coilthereunder, a normally closed housing below and at the sides of saidcoil, said housing being open at one end, the bottom portion of saidhousing being composed of a plurality of parallel rockable members,rock-shafts supporting said members, means for simultaneously turningall of said rock-shafts, means for causing an artificial current of airto traverse the space surrounding the condensing-coil, movable sidemembers of said housing, rock-shafts supporting said movable sidemembers, and means for simultaneously turning all of said shafts,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH L. MORRIS;

l/Vitnesses:

HUGH BLAIR, W. B. BRoWNELL.

